intricate 3D printed sand wall by barry wark decorates museum of the future in dubai

Nàdarra sand wall by barry wark

In exploring the manifestation of ‘nature’ in architecture, Barry Wark has designed Nàdarra, a 3D printed sand wall for The Museum of the Future, in Dubai. The project gives form to the evolving conversations around architecture and ecology, considering the interconnectedness of all matter in the design of an architectural surface. It does so by utilizing circular materials and 3D printing technology; celebrating the inevitability of vegetation growth and weathering on all buildings; and creating ambiguous forms that are both natural and artefactual at the same time, a reflection of our increasingly synthetic world.

overall wall view

all images courtesy of Barry Wark

inspired by erosion and biophilic design

The project by Barry Wark (find more here) engages with the importance of materials and their life cycles in the built environment, employing advanced 3D printing sand technology. Its parts can be fabricated, installed, and then recycled up to eight times after use. Nàdarra takes advantage of 3D printing’s ability to create virtually unlimited geometric possibilities without the need for complex mould making. This has further environmental benefits as it does not waste any material beyond what is used in the parts themselves during their fabrication.

Motivated by the recognition that all buildings eventually erode, stain, and weather, the project is designed to display its interconnectedness with its environment. It moves beyond the idea of an impossibly clean architecture, creating crevices and pockets for water and seed retention that can accelerate and promote the growth and presence of non-human organisms within its surfaces. The wall forms implement biophilic design principles, such as multiscalar detail, organized complexity, and highly differentiated but similar geometries that evoke the bulging and pocketing of the moss that grows within the surface itself.

front elevation

A product of mystery and ambiguity

Barry Wark’s Nàdarra presents mysterious qualities as a product of the ambiguity surrounding its age, origins and fabrication process. It is striated with traces of chisel marks yet is eroded and smoothed as if by the weather. It has the stereotomy of ancient construction, but each part employs a complexity almost unimaginable to make by the human hand. The project aims to draw people close through this engagement and questioning, bringing attention to the effects of the environment upon its surface. It considers its connection with the environment positive and attempts to break down the false duality between architecture and nature, considering the importance and beauty in the interconnectedness of all matter.

base detail with deep relief for more extensive moss growth

front elevation close up with 3D printed sand panels and moss

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moss growing within the 3D printed sand blocks

3D printed sand wall details

close up shot showing the moss growing within the wall surface

close up shot displaying the intricacy of the project

project info:

name: Nàdarra
designer: Barry Wark

location: Museum of the Future, Dubai

designboom has received this project from our ‘DIY submissions‘ feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.

edited by: Myrto Katsikopoulou | designboom